Strong second half helps ACU rout Dallas Baptist

Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News
Abilene Christian University guard Preston Davis (10) goes up for a layup in the second half of ACU's 85-71 victory over Dallas Baptist University on Monday, Jan. 3, 2010.

Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News
Abilene Christian forward Giordan Cole (23) goes up for a shot during the second half of ACU’s 85-71 win over Dallas Baptist University on Monday at Moody Coliseum. Cole finished with 12 points and five rebounds.

Senior guard Preston Davis scored 18 points and had seven steals, and Desmond Woodberry chipped in 16 points and four steals to lead Abilene Christian to an 85-71 win over Dallas Baptist Monday night in a nonconference game at Moody Coliseum.

Trailing by three at halftime, the Wildcats outscored Dallas Baptist 51-34 in the second half.

The win, the ACU's fourth straight, upped its record to 7-3 and avenged a 90-86 loss to the Patriots in Dallas in November. Abilene Christian improved to 7-0 at home.

The Wildcats shot 54 percent from the field, forced 16 steals and pressured the Patriots into 27 turnovers.

Dallas Baptist fell to 8-4, and 0-3 on the road.

Giordan Cole added 12 points and Marcus Washington 10 for ACU, which has two more games this week — Thursday at Southwestern Oklahoma and Saturday at Cameron — before taking on Tarleton State next Tuesday at Moody Coliseum in a Lone Star Conference game.